Member Article

Blackpool council plans to boost business

Blackpool council released their latest plan and said that boosting business is a large priority.

From focussing on the creation of apprenticeships, creating more jobs and encouraging and helping people to set up their own business Blackpool council no longer wants to rely on the tourism industry which brings in £200 million to the local economy.

They recognised the need to nurture businesses in sectors such as manufacturing, energy and environmental, creative digital and other professional and financial services.

Much of Blackpool’s business base is small to medium sized businesses and they highlighted the need to encourage those businesses to grow and create a wider range of job opportunities.

A generation of new businesses have started life with assistance from the Council’s ‘Get Started’ initiative and they hope to continue to offer this support for other budding entrepreneurs.

They say they will offer coaching, mentoring and investment finance to growth oriented businesses and offer targeted commercial loans and capital grants through the Blackpool Investment Fund.

Get Started has helped hundreds of local residents set up their own business in the last 18 months alone over 340 people have accessed the service, 115 new businesses have started trading, and 34 young entrepreneurs (aged 18-30) have secured £198,000 from the national StartUp Loan fund.

To attract sustained investment and create quality jobs they also plan on completing the development of the central business district so that supply chain, construction, new retail and food lettings will all contribute more to the local economy.

In their forward to the documentation chief executive Neil Jack and leader of the council Simon Blackburn said, “we continue to work hard to help people back into work, to encourage entrepreneurship and attract inward investors who will bring with them money and jobs.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sophia Taha .